Little Drama Queen!!

Today was a big day for the Mills' Drama Queen! Taylor's final performance of "Cricket on Grandma's Hearth" was tonight and they did a great job. The crowd was pretty thin, but I think it had a lot to do with it being so close to Easter Weekend and Spring Breaks. Taylor did a great job, and we were very proud of her... Here are some photos and a short video of the final scene...

This was before the show. The kids were dancing and having a good old time!

Was she looking at the camera? Actually, I think she was looking at Toby, who waved at her the entire time she was on the stage!

Here is "Emily" having a heart to heart with Grandma about being kind and the Easter Miracle.

A part where Taylor was off to the side, but doesn't she look so grown up?

The curtain call for "Emily's" family

Here is a brief video of "Emily" and Grandma, the final scene of the play, about their Easter Miracle.

And then, to top off the Day... we finally got a call from Ohio Light Opera this afternoon. She has been offered a part in the upcoming Fiddler On The Roof production!! She will be the youngest daughter. They are doing a split cast, so she will be in half the shows, like she was for Sound of Music. She is SO VERY EXCITED!! As are we! We should know more in the coming week, but for now, we can stop running after the mailman... He probably thinks we are stalking him!!

God is Good!

11 Years Ago!!

For some reason, this momma is having a hard time dealing with the fact that her baby girl is 11. So, we go back and look at old photos. There are so many I could post, but I don't have the time, and I'm sure you really don't care... But here are some special ones to me!

This is Taylor with my Paternal Grandmother, Bonnie. Grandma Bonnie became sick when Taylor was very young, and passed away in July of 2007, so she doesn't really remember her. But this photo is absolutely precious to me...


And Taylor with my Maternal Grandmother Carol. Taylor was the first Great Grandchild, can you tell?

And here is Taylor with my Maternal Great Grandmother, making this her Great-Great Grandmother. Does it get any more precious than this???


Taylor at her first birthday party, enjoying her very own cake!

Here is Taylor and Daddy... why does he look so young?


This photo has always been a favorite of mine. This is Taylor dancing with her older cousin Lincoln at a wedding. Lincoln was always very protective of Taylor!


Taylor's first night in her Big Girl Bed!!


And the beginning of a love that is unexplainable! Taylor meeting her baby brother Drew for the first time!


Time certainly does fly by. And there have been so many wonderful times since that Monday in March, 11 years ago! I am beyond blessed to be Taylor's mother! I look forward to the joys God has in store for us in the future!



God is Good

ROCK SOLID!!!

Another wonderful performance by the Wooster Grace Brethren Church Children's Choir! Today they performed "Rock Solid" after many months of practice! Once again, we were not disappointed. There are so many talented children in our church! It is always exciting to see from one year to the next which kids have gotten to the point where they feel comfortable singing solos. Drew said he wanted to try-out this year, but ended up not doing so. Maybe he'll be ready next year! I look forward to next year with great excitement and great sadness. It will be the only year we have all three of the kids in the choir, but it will also be Taylor's last year! :'(

Here are a few photos and videos from the program!

Taylor was in the "Stomp Band". She was the only girl. There were seven boys, and Taylor! Not sure what to think of that :)

Here is Drew getting into the song!

A video of Taylor singing her Solo! I don't see how Ohio Light Opera could turn her down (yes we are still waiting... UGH) Of course I'm just the Momma! (and that is Toby in the background saying "I saw my Tay Tay")

And here is a video of Drew during the final song. He was really enjoying himself!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post!! It's a big day in the Mills' House!

God is Good!

And We Wait!

AND STILL... NOTHING 3/26

STILL WAITING...3/24 :)

Well, Taylor had Auditions for the Ohio Light Opera tonight. She sang the song "Maybe" from Annie! I think she did a beautiful job! I felt bad for her, we hadn't really practiced with an accompaniment, but she still did well. I was out waiting in the hall, and I could hear her belting it out like a superstar!

We have been very encouraged about her audition not only by the response we received today, but by the people we have spoken to in getting information during the process. They certainly remember her from her part as Gretl in Sound of Music two years ago. (Click on the link for a few photos of her from the OLO website!)

While we are very excited and anxious to hear if she will be cast in Fiddler on the Roof this year, we are also aware that there are only a few childrens parts. While I am biased, I believe she is best for the part :) Granted, I haven't seen the competition. Getting a part means our summer belongs to The College of Wooster and the Ohio Light Opera. (Eighteen performances, and several weeks of grueling practices) But it also means that Taylor is doing what she loves, singing and being on stage.

I will be sure to post once we know the outcome!

God is Good!

Another Anniversary

In the world of adoption, it can be easy to get caught up in all the "Anniversary Dates"! There is the day you got "the call" or the referral, or saw the first photo of your baby (3/18/07). There is the day you accepted your referral (3/22/07)... there is the days when you received all the various travel approvals (didn't keep track of all this)...there is the day you got "the call" about your travel to meet your baby(6/24/07)... there is your gotcha day, or forever day or airplane day, whatever you may call it (7/26/07)! And there is your finalization day (3/10/08)! That is what our anniversary day is tomorrow! Another day to celebrate the joy of adoption.

Does that mean we have a big party? Does that mean Toby gets gifts? Does that mean the world stops for 24 hours? Not for us, but some families may celebrate differently. We acknowledge the day, maybe read an extra adoption book at bedtime or look through his photo book, or watch a video. But that's about it. Is that wrong? Not for us! We have two biological children. Does that mean we should celebrate the day the pee stick turned pink, the first ultrasound, the first movement every year? That would be a little silly I think. So while adoption is special, and it is important to celebrate what milestones you do have, considering for us we lost the first 27 months of celebrating, we also are realistic.

So tomorrow, we will remember our special day in court! We will be thankful for the blessings God has given us over the last 12 months! But to indulge you all... I thought I would post again Toby's Finalization video!

Enjoy!



God is Good!

Weekend in Pittsburgh

**this is a long post, sorry... but we had a great weekend!**

Well, Nate is at the National Youth Ministry Conference in Columbus, so I thought, what better time to take the kids and head to my sister Katy's place in Pittsburgh. Her birthday was last weekend, so we thought it would be fun to go hang out. We took off Friday at 5:00 hoping to get to Pittsburgh before 8 and maybe stop at IKEA before we head to Katy's place. She had to work until 9:30... well, Mr. Garmin (the GPS) took me the short LONG way!! A trip that allowed us to go through 3 states in 5 minutes, which the kids thought was amazing in and of itself! We ended up pulling in at Katy's workplace at about 8:30 - 8:45!! So we did a little shopping at Pier 1 before they closed, hit Wal-Mart (because I needed a few essentials I forgot to pack... imagine that!) then took off for Katy's house. The kids were so excited, that they didn't go to sleep until around 11 or later. The entire drive into Pittsburgh, once we hit the "city" Drew was on the edge of his seat with excitement. It was really kinda funny to watch him. Then when we passed Heinz Field, I thought he was going to faint! So cute.

Saturday morning, we got up and Katy and Toby made us pancakes! Toby loves to stir!
After breakfast, we headed out to the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. I had checked the place out online, but was even more impressed with it. The kids had a blast! Here are just a few of the things we did....

Toby doing some silk Screening! Shelly, you would have been impressed!


Toby was so into his painting (he made at least 3 beautiful portraits) he wouldn't even look away from his easel to get his photo taken!
Here, Taylor, Toby, Aunt Katy and her friend Amanda do some Ink press artwork...
And here's Toby making paper!
The kids really loved Water World. They got to put on crocs and raincoats and go crazy. I rolled up Toby's pant legs, but he still managed to get soaked. Luckily, I planned ahead and had back up pants in the backpack!
On our trip to Pittsburgh, the kids watched the movie "BIG" with Tom Hanks. We all about flipped out when we saw Madame Zelda at the Museum... guess what Drew wished for? And he was very disappointed when he was still 7 when he woke up this morning...
As you can see, we finally broke down and got Taylor a cell phone. She's been very busy texting all her friends. I'm thinking it's going to be a good tool to keep her room clean?!?
In the "Garage" section, the kids got to use different tools. Toby and Drew were using files to file down wood, I INSISTED on the safety goggles, partially because they were getting pretty wild with the tools, and partially because they were so darn cute on them!
Here the kids are in the "Attic" section. Going down the FAST slide! They really liked it and did it several times. But they had to walk through the gravity room get to it.
Here is the Gravity room. It was on an angle, and was nearly impossible to walk in. Toby kept running into the wall. He kept falling down to the left. It was actually kinda comical!
Mr. Rogers Neighborhood was a big hit for the kids. Here they sit on his front porch.
And Toby and I are watching as Trolly comes by!
Toby would hardly leave the "castle" and was still talking about it this morning as we were leaving. He wanted to go back to the castle. He liked the Land of Make Believe!
Here is Drew on the Trolly... can you tell he's in Pittsburgh. Of course, he didn't stand out at all. About every other person you saw was completely decked out in Steelers attire!
So after the Museum, we went to IKEA for a while. I bought several things for around the house! I LOVE that place!! I could easily fill a U-Haul, like so many people do when they are there! Then we went to dinner to celebrate Aunt Katy's birthday. I talked her into Damon's...YUM!! We had a nice meal, and the kids were very well behaved, considering the long day they had had!

Sunday morning, we had to hit the road fairly early. I was hoping to make it back for Lydia's funeral service and Taylor had play practice at 2PM. (we didn't make it into town until after 2, so sadly, I missed the service. But I was with them in spirit and continue to pray for the Miyashita's)

But before we left, Aunt Katy wanted to take us to Mt. Washington to look out over the city. Great idea... bad time of year! It was beautiful, but freezing. The kids had winter jackets, but they needed several layers and a few hats and several pair of gloves!! It was just very windy. We did manage to get a few photos!

Here are Taylor and Drew, with Heinz Field in the background!
And here is a photo of the kids and I with the Pittsburgh skyline behind us!
Since it was so cold, we decided to head down closer to Heinz Field so Drew could get some photos! He was SO EXCITED!!! Can you tell?
And here is Taylor in front of the stadium!
Drew didn't want to leave! He kept running back to the gate and begging for someone to let him in!
And a final photo of the kids with Art Rooney. Drew is thanking him for the great season! I don't think he had a clue who he was until we explained it, but he wanted to thank him!

Another Play

Well, we got word this week that Taylor will be in another play. She auditioned for "A Cricket on Grandmother's Hearth" (or something like that) this past weekend with Orrville Community Theater. This is the group that she was in The Wizard of Oz with. She got the call Wednesday night that she is going to play Emily! She is very excited. They will get scripts and do a read through on Sunday, so we will know more then. But I believe the production is the first weekend in April!

We also continue to wait to hear about Ohio Light Opera auditions. She is really hoping to be able to be a part of this again this year, so if any of you hear about or read about auditions... let us know!

God is Good!

All I want for Easter is...

My Two Fwont Teef...

God is Good!

Valentine's Day at COSI

Well, we had a wonderful Valentine's Day! Nate actually had to work, so we gave the kids their gifts Friday night. Toby got more Play Dough toys, and Taylor got Clothes and Drew got a Steelers championship shirt. He was so excited to get an actual "Terrible Towel" also.(Thanks Aunt Katy in Pitt for picking them up for us!)

So the kids slept in a little, then we went to Taylor's piano lessons, and Toby got a last minute invitation to a friend from Church's birthday party... HAPPY BIRTHDAY RILEY! So we got to stop in there for about an hour so he could enjoy his first "birthday party" invitation!

As soon as Nate got home from work, we loaded up the Jeep and headed for Columbus. We decided it would be fun to just head down to COSI with the kids and enjoy a few hours together! It was wonderful! We had no agenda, we'd been there before so we had already seen most everything. So we just let the kids lead and enjoy and explore. It was a lot of fun! Here are some photos!

This is in the Progress Section!
I think the kids have two favorite spots. Ocean is one of them. Here, Nate and Drew are playing in the water,

And of course, Taylor getting wet...

And as you can see from Toby's shirt... he had a blast. Yes that is a soaked shirt!! As well as hair and pants. He had so much fun playing in the water!

Here Taylor and Drew are discovering the effects of sound waves. Of course, it wasn't working for some reason, so Drew ended up more confused than when we started! But Taylor is studying that exact thing in school, so she was doing her best to explain it to him.

This was the first thing we did when we got there. Nate was putting coats away, etc. And at first Toby was a little overwhelmed. But then he started playing, and he was on the go from that point on. Wanting to see and touch everything! It was exciting to see him explore on his own. Of course, Nate felt he was wandering a little too much, but I see it as a good sign of independence!

If you ask the kids, I think this is on thier top 2 list at COSI... Gadget world. Here is a fun video of Toby. He was having a blast putting these balls on the blowers and watching them hover...

After our time at COSI, we stopped at Aunt Christina and Uncle Jer's house to check up on baby Graham! He is getting so big, and moving around and a little jabber box. We were only there for a short while, but it was a nice little visit! Nate got his White Castle on the way home, the kids and I played it SAFE and ate at Taco Bell :) *is that safe?* And we made it home safely a few hours later!

In a couple weeks, we are going to head to the Pittsburgh Children's Museum... Can't wait!!

God is Good!

It's a Witch

Last summer Taylor was in The Wizard of Oz play in Orrville. Toby was fascinated (if not scared to death) of the wicked witch. Well, he watched the movie recently and now, that is ALL HE TALKS ABOUT. So much so, I picked him up from school last week and his teacher asked if he'd been watching the movie.

So for your viewing pleasure, here is Toby (yes, he's wearing part of a darth vador mask and a Super Agent cape) demonstrating some of is Wizard of Oz knowledge.

Please ignore my annoying voice and laugh in the background... I wish I could edit that part out!


God is Good!

Kalahari Photos

Well, I was going to post some videos, but it takes forever, and then my memory maxed out, so I'll have to try again later. But I thought I would get some fun photos up!

Here is the one video I made with my camera, I guess I should just do that more often. This is the Top 10 reasons to Attend Kalahari...

This is Kendra and Nate's cousin Sara. After I took the photo, the girls came over to look at it and Kendra said to Sara... "You didn't tell me it was supposed to be a good picture!" Sara looks too beautiful not to share it, and Kendra, even with your yellow tongue and silly face you look beautiful! But enough Starburst, okay?

All weekend my camera was being confiscated by students, but I thought this was a pretty impressive photo. This is about half the group at Devotions Sunday morning. We had to split up in two different rooms because of our group size.It is always so exciting to see kids taking their faith so seriously!

This is the girls that were in my room for the weekend with Ja'Rod Cherry. He played for the New England Patriots in their SuperBowl days a few years back. He shared his testimony and it is very powerful, about where we place our value in our lives. I want to get this video uploaded and will try again tomorrow to at least get that much up! It is worth checking back to the blog to see!

Here is (another) Kendra, one of the girls that is always at Alive with us in the summer. She won the chance to "compete" in a peanut butter eating contest. She had the creamy and she beat out her friend who had the chunky! I'm sure she drank plenty of water after this! She won a covetted Thrift Store Tee Shirt!

This is back in the room the first night we stayed up until 2:30AM! This is Liz and Naomi hanging out! Liz is eating the wonderful ice we went down the hall at 1:30 to get!

Here is Mac... this is what happens when you take away the cell phone of a teenager in love... they must actually write letters!

These girls are in my small group but were not in my room. All seven of my small group girls came, and between them brought three friends, so we did not have room enough to all stay together. So these are a few of the girls that were in the other room. Hope, Jenae and Caitlyn.

Another shot in our room, this is Jenessa and her two friends, Marie (i.e. Angie as I kept calling her all weekend) and Jill.

14 First Time Decisions for Christ
over 200 recommitments to share their faith with their friends

A weekend full of fun!

God is Good!

Nate Huss

Our local Christian Station 102.7 WVMC, plays a syndicated show Total Axxess. A friend from Grace, Zach Boehm, is part of this show, so we tune in pretty much every night if we are home. I'm sure the radio is still on in the kitchen with the Total Axxess show playing as I type. Check it out if you live in the area, it starts at 7PM.

Well, tonight as I was getting the kids ready for bed, Nate yelled at me to come in to the kitchen. When I got in there he said, "Wally and Zach were talking about adoption" I missed the conversation, but then they played this song...



What a wonderful song. I did find a little history about Nate Huss from a CBN interview and you can read it here. He was the youngest of 8 adoptive children.

I think this song is beautifully written and wanted to share it with you all.

God is Good!